It’s officially the middle of winter – the best time to stay inside and play video games as much as possible! Of course, once you’ve played a game to death you’ll want to move right on to the next one. Luckily there are always new turn-based games coming out, so you’ll never be without something to look forward to.
With that in mind, it’s time for another Keep An Eye On It! Whether they’re new entries in respected series, eye-catching indie debuts, or something that’s never quite been done before, these are 10 RPGs & Strategy Games coming out over the next few months of 2022 that merit watching.
REIGN OVER
Reign Over is a pixelated, post-apocalyptic Heroes of Might and Magic filled to the brim with twisted mutants, killer robots, and smoke-spewing vehicles. While developer Pentakodas hasn’t released a whole lot of information on the game just yet, that description alone is enough to make us sit up and take notice. Heroes like Warlords, Rangers, and Tacticians will command troops from their chosen faction and fight to control what’s left of civilization.
With a random map generator and multiplayer options, Reign Over should have a good amount of replay value. Everything that’s already been teased points toward a solid take on a classic genre, so it will be exciting to see what else Pentakodas has in store as development continues.
EGGLIA REBIRTH
EGGLIA: Legend of the Redcap is a mobile game boasting art from the incomparable Shinichi Kameoka and Koji Tsuda. The pair are best known for their work on the Mana series (Seiken Densetsu in Japan), and their signature style is apparent on every screen of EGGLIA. This February, the game is being brought to the Switch in EGGLIA Rebirth, a port that’s been optimized for console play
The game is named for the land of Egglia where it takes place. layers will need to grow their village and hunt monsters to restore Egglia to its former glory. If you’re looking for a whimsical fantasy title to play on your Switch, this could be the one that helps you finish out the winter.
Preorder EGGLIA Rebirth for Switch
Monster Tribe
Monster-catching games offer some of the deepest team customization available in any genre. There’s a lot of buzz right now about Pokemon Legends: Arceus experimenting with open-world exploration, but Boundless Games’ Monster Tribe is an open-world monster battler that deserves attention as well. You won’t be capturing your critters in capsules here, though; the Ateyan are caught in the space between dimensions, and by binding your spirit to them you’ll be able to call them into the material world to fight on your behalf.
With multiple biomes, crafting, and a positional battle system that promises added depth to monster battles, Monster Tribe has much to offer. The island of Akama is waiting, and you’ll be able to start unearthing its secrets in March. In the meantime, the game also has a demo available to try on Steam.
Wishlist Monster Tribe on Steam
Ambition Record
The latest JRPG from Exe Create, Ambition Record is a tale of loyalty and betrayal with visuals reminiscent of Grandia. The protagonist, Rafael, is ordered by his king to suppress a rebellion and quickly discovers that the danger is greater than he could have imagined. With a job-change system and customizable weapons and armor, Ambition Record looks to deliver on both gameplay and Dreamcast-era nostalgia.
At the core of the game’s turn-based battle system are Dragonstones, which allow characters to gain draconic traits like wings. Applying these limited transformations effectively will be key to victory. There is not yet a Steam release date set for Ambition Record, but the game is already available for mobile if you’re looking for something to play on the go.
Get Ambition Record on Google Play
Get Ambition Record on the App Store
Wishlist Ambition Record on Steam
Spelldrifter
Spelldrifter offers grid-based tactical combat powered by cards. Units’ abilities are drawn from a deck, forcing the player to choose their next move from a limited hand. Each skill takes a certain number of ticks to execute, so timing your plays to coordinate with positioning on the map is vital. The result is a blend of genres with wide appeal for strategy gamers; whether you like Fire Emblem-esque SRPG battles or the deck management of Hearthstone, you’ll find something to enjoy in Spelldrifter.
Based on what’s been shown so far, the vast array of cards available in Spelldrifter will allow for a huge variety of builds. What’s more, the game looks to have plenty of big monsters and bigger bosses to fight. The game has been out on Epic for just under a year and is coming to Steam on 15 February.
Wishlist Spelldrifter on Steam
Get Spelldrifter on Epic Games Store
Divinity Chronicles: Journey to the West
Journey To The West, a 16th-century novel attributed to the poet Wu Cheng’en, is an enduring classic of Chinese literature. It’s been adapted into just about every form of media imaginable many times over; in fact, the original Dragon Ball manga was loosely based on Journey To The West. Now, Z Studio is offering its own take on the story with Divinity Chronicles: Journey To The West.
A roguelike deckbuilder strongly reminiscent of Slay the Spire, Divinity Chronicles trades in Western fantasy aesthetics for characters and settings inspired by classical China. Ghosts, demons, and of course the Monkey King are all present. If you’re a fan of Chinese mythology definitely give this one a go; the first chapter is available as a free demo. The full game releases on 1 March.
Wishlist Divinity Chronicles: Journey To The West on Steam
Vendir: Plague of Lies
Vendir: Plague of Lies serves up a world where “poverty, plague and destitution are the status quo” – and that’s putting it mildly. An isometric RPG in the vein of classic Baldur’s Gate, Vendir dives headfirst into a grimdark fantasy setting full of disease, misery, and even cannibalism. While it’s certainly not a cheerful game, it offers plenty of meaningful story decisions that offer the player a chance of leaving the world less depressing than they found it.
Vendir boasts depth in just about every element of gameplay. From crafting to combat to skill trees, it’s got enough for even the most serious player to get lost in. On top of that, the lore and NPC interactions are meticulously crafted. The game is expected to launch sometime in 2022.
Wishlist Vendir: Plague of Lies on Steam
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
The Legend of Heroes series may not have quite the fame of Nihon Falcom’s best-known series Ys, but it certainly has the same amount of heart. Trails From Zero brings the player to the city of Crossbell, where as the newest member of the underfunded Special Support Section of the Crossbell Police Department they’ll uncover the town’s secrets one by one. Fans of the series know to expect deep characters and a thrilling storyline with beautiful anime visuals.
Players of previous Legend of Heroes games will appreciate the streamlined tactical combat that stays true to the series. New players have a great place to jump into the setting, as Trails From Zero kicks off a new story arc that doesn’t require knowledge of the previous games to enjoy. JRPG fans won’t want to miss this title when it arrives in Fall of 2022.
Wishlist The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero on Steam
Circadian
A circadian rhythm is a living creature’s day-night cycle – specifically, how the body changes over the course of 24 hours so that it can get the most out of its active and resting periods. In the world of Circadian, something has caused this rhythm to go haywire for every living thing in the town of Mount Olive – and things only get more mysterious from there.
One look at Circadian tells you that it’s heavily inspired by Earthbound. The isometric viewpoint, trippy battle backgrounds, and even the interiors of buildings feel like they came straight out of the 1994 classic. Rather than kids, however, the party members are fully-grown adults out to solve the mystery of the Unrest Rhythm and an evil corporation. If you’ve ever wondered what an X-Files episode would look like in the Earthbound universe you might find your answer in Circadian, which releases in May of 2022.
Collapse of Magic
Convex Games‘ debut title is a tactical puzzler with minimal RNG and many paths to victory. Each of the game’s six classes has a distinct playstyle, but there are only four heroes; choosing and assigning each character’s class will impact how the entire campaign is played. The same battle could require wildly different tactics based on your party composition, and there won’t be any lucky die rolls to save you… or to ruin a perfectly good run.
Collapse of Magic’s low-poly art style still provides plenty of depth, color, and detail for the setting. The game is not yet in early access so there is still a long way to go before the final product, but it’s definitely one to watch. If you decide to Wishlist it, you can also sign up for the playtest in case any slots become available.
Wishlist Collapse of Magic on Steam
This episode of Keep An Eye On It ends here, let me know what you think about these 10 Promising Turn-Based RPGs and Strategy Games in the comments below and don’t forget to take a look at the video version of this article on TBL Youtube Channel.
Circadian looks like they stole some assets. I mean I get that Earthbound is one of the five influences that every indie game is allowed to use but stealing streets from Twoson is unnecessary.